Well, time to get cracking.
Sic 'im, boys.
Impressive swordsmanship. But you're gonna have to do better than that to beat my inugami.
There's just no end to them.
Invisibility.
Oh! So that's your power?
Didn'tcha know? Dogs have very keen senses.
It's too bad that your power turned out to be useless!
Indeed. Which means it's time for plan B.
Hm?
Dart.
Yeowch, that hurt!
Say, buddy. Why do you have two pow-?
Hold your horses!
Nice try, but you missed. I'm just a mirage.
Sorry, buddy. But this is the end of the line.
My inugami are pretty amazing, don'tcha think?
Oh, shoot. You can't hear me anymore, huh?
Toodle-oo.
I'll admit, they were rather formidable.
How are you not dead?
I'm honestly impressed. Your dog spirits are on par with superior demons.
Attack, inugami!
You stole them from me?!
Aw, man! That's not fair!
Have mercy.
Why should I?
Now talk. Let's hear what you have to say.
You're not gonna kill me?
I need you to answer some questions. I won't kill you if you agree to talk.
And if I refuse?
Then I'll just have to steal your memories by consuming you.
Yikes.
Alrighty, then. I guess I'll answer your questions.
Not like I can fight back, anyway.
Yeah, right. I know you must still have tricks up your sleeve.
Look who's talking. You held back your own powers, didn'tcha?
I'll happily answer your questions. But would you get rid of these pups first?
They're freaking me out.
You really did it! Has anybody told you that you're way too gullible?
You're not lying though, are you?
Other people do.
Can you give me just a sec? I've gotta fetch my inugami.
Oh, but don't worry. I won't try and make a break for it.
Thanks, boys. I'll be sure to put you to rest later.
What're those?
Papier-mache figurines.
Have you ever heard of "tsukumogami"? Basically, they're objects infused with emotion.
And feelings are power.
Since negative emotions can become demons with bodies of flesh,
it's not farfetched for objects to come to life, too, right?
In other words, you can take the emotions of objects and turn them into demons?
Exactly. I can create tsukumogami.
I'm like one of those spirit mediums who controls magical familiars, just with tsukumogami instead.
You called yourself the third generation. Are you from a family of exorcists?
No, not really.
Notable exorcists like Nagumo of the Cursed Sword and Kukami of the Magatama
inherit their techniques by blood, but Akitsu is more of a school.
Initially, Somegoro Akitsu was just an ordinary craftsman.
But the thing is, he was too good at it.
Every object that Somegoro created ended up with a soul of its own.
And I don't mean figuratively.
Things intensified until he conceived of a technique to turn those objects
into tsukumogami that could be controlled.
After Somegoro retired, he passed on everything to his disciple and I'm the third one to take the mantle.
But the name "Somegoro Akitsu" is famous for good craftsmanship, not exorcism.
Sorry, I got off on a tangent.
So, buddy...
It's Jinya.
Right. So, what did you want to ask me, Jinya-san?
Yesterday, you sold a kanzashi to a young lady, yes?
A kanzashi? Yesterday? Let me think...
Ah! That wasn't really a sale, but yes, I did give one away.
Well, the instant she put it on, that young lady took on a totally different personality.
What's the deal with that kanzashi?
I'm not sure what to tell you. It was just an ordinary hairpin.
Oh, hey! I've got it!
I think I can solve your problem with the young lady.
So how about you just put that sword away, okay?
Do you really mean that?
Who knows?
I might be lying, or I might be telling the truth.
But in either case, you have no choice except to believe me, right?
Natsu.
Welcome home, dear brother.
You were waiting for me?
Yes. Because that's what you asked me to do.
Sorry. I know I'm late.
That's okay. I knew that you would come back to me eventually.
Let's go out, shall we?
Sure. I'll gladly go anywhere with you, dear brother.
These are snow willows. They bloom flowers in spring that look like snow.
You're very knowledgeable.
Dear brother?
To be perfectly honest, I don't handle being called "brother" well.
It makes me feel like my biggest vulnerability has been exposed and I hate that.
But, dear brother...
I wanted to protect it.
But I wasn't able to.
Not a single thing.
The promise I made on that distant rainy night got broken so easily,
and I... failed to be her loving brother until the end.
I'm not Jinta anymore.
And ultimately, when it comes to you and to Suzune...
I am no big brother.
Wrong.
Why should a bird need any reason to perch itself by a flower?
The same is true of siblings, is it not?
No matter what the circumstances, their bonds can never be completely broken.
After living across many moons, I finally found my way here to be by your side.
And so, I have no doubt that you can also find a path that will take you back.
Take me back...?
Yes.
We all live in search of the place where our feelings call home, which requires a long journey across time.
I doubt I can find that path...
You will. After all, that is the purpose of life.
Natsu...
No, that's not right. I'm sorry I don't know what to call you.
Thanks for listening to my griping. I owe you a debt of gratitude.
Here. Let me return your other half.
You've got something in your breast pocket, don'tcha?
If my guess is right, then it's probably a comb or a kogai.
Actually, I'd put my money on a kogai.
Just give it to that girl and your problem is solved.
My dear brother...
After so long, I can reach out and touch you.
A cuckoo bird?
Thank you very much.
Now I have found my place.
Dear brother...
...let us go together.
Congrats.
Somegoro Akitsu.
Yeesh, you really gotta use my full name? Well, whatever.
More importantly, it worked just like I said, right?
The word "kogai" comes from the kanji for "hair-scratcher."
Originally, it was a tool that people used to style hair,
but also to scratch their itchy heads without ruining their hairdo,
or by young ladies to keep up their appearance.
So, I suppose if they were made by the same craftsman, you could think of kogai and kanzashi like family.
Oh, but since kanzashi are for women and kogai are tools that men keep attached to their swords,
they're more like older brother and little sister.
That wisteria kogai was another Somegoro work, ya know?
So since you had the sibling piece of that hairpin, I'm guessing that's why it kept calling you "dear brother."
That kanzashi contained the lingering emotions of its long departed owner.
Frankly, I thought Natsu was searching for this "dear brother" because she had gotten possessed by those.
And what? You resemble that brother or something?
It's like a story straight out of a stage play!
But really, it seems like those two pieces were created as a pair.
"The blooming waves of wisteria come crashing down, as if to betoken the arrival of the cuckoos call."
That's a poem from the man'yoshu.
Somegoro the First was quite the jokester.
Why should a bird need any reason to perch itself by a flower?
So you're telling me that cuckoo hairpin was searching for wisteria flowers all along, huh?
Strange things really do happen in life.
That's weird for a demon to say.
In any case, the journey that kanzashi took is a mystery,
since nobody can really know whose hands it passed between to fill it with such emotion,
and we don't need to know, anyway.
The only thing that matters is the cuckoo found its way back to its brother.
All's well that ends well.
Where do you suppose it flew off to?
Into the yonder, obviously.
Yonder?
Yep. Beyond the seas and into the distant skies.
Far, far away. To where its feelings call home.
The only way to know exactly where is to ask the cuckoo.
But at any rate, emotions always return to the place they desire most in the end. That's what I believe.
I see.
I hope that's the case.
Alrighty, then. I better get going.
I suppose I should ask. You're letting me go?
What do you mean?
I'm a demon disguised as a human.
Oh, is that all?
Meh, I'm okay with it.
Don't be such a stiff! I mean, you're friends with Ofuu-chan, aren'tcha?
Too late for me to change course after I let her off the hook,
and you don't seem dangerous, anyways.
But...
I'm just a craftsman at the end of the day.
I do slay demons upon request, and will fight back when threatened,
but I'm not out to kill demons that mean no harm.
That said, you'd better not forget.
Y'all are demons, which means you're always gonna be on the side that gets hunted.
No matter how kind Ofuu-chan is, or how many people you've saved, or how close y'all are with humans like me,
that fact will never change.
I'm aware.
Glad to hear it.
Well, toodle-oo!
Whew! It's such a relief that you're back to normal!
Except...
Why are so you down in the dumps about it, milady?
Well, you see, she has clear memories of everything that happened.
Oh, dang.
Like, "dear brother" and all that other sappy talk she pampered him with?
That would turn anybody red in the face.
Zenji! You're just asking for trouble!
Oh, sorry! I wasn't trying to make fun of you.
Shucks. Just simmer down, Natsu-chan.
Go ahead and order whatever you want. It's on the house.
Aw, thanks, Mister!
But I notice that our ronin friend hasn't shown up today.
Ready to turn into a clam yet?
You know... I think I'm happy just being a sparrow.
My, my.
Aw, jeez! How am I supposed to look him in the face now?
Goodness. You've got quite the frown today.
Harlot. A little early to be prowling for men, isn't it?
Here I was trying to show a little concern, and all you can be is rude?
Well, since you're here, care to chat for a bit?
The rumor mill has been churning lately.
I'd love to hear more.
I take it you're in the mood for some action to clear your mind, huh?
Did you hear that?
Ugh, not again.
Actually, earlier this morning, I was trying to sleep when I heard the call of a cuckoo from somewhere.
It was so noisy that I couldn't sleep, which is why I'm out and about.
But even now, I just keep hearing its cry nearby. It's so strange.
Hm? What is it?
Emotions always return to the place they desire most in the end. That's what I believe.
There's just no way...
C'mon, what's the deal?
Wait. You don't suppose it's a demon, do you?
No.
Just a cuckoo that made its way through the night, and found a flower to perch next to.
As time stretches on further and further, neither people nor nature can defy it.
Nothing is forever.
However, there is one exception. Human emotions.
No matter what new shape they may take on...
HEISEI YEAR 21 (2009)
That looks great on you, Miyaka-chan!
Jeez, Mom.
What?
It's been bothering me forever, but why do you insist on making me do this Miko thing?
Like this outfit... I'd be totally mortified if a friend of mine showed up right now.
Good question. I suppose it's because that's the duty of the women who are born at this shrine.
I was given two rules: one to add the "night" kanji to my daughter's name.
And the other to never let the Miko line die out.
My grandmother insisted that we keep those traditions alive no matter what,
so I have to pass them down to future generations.
But why?
Who knows?
You can't be serious.
Even if we don't know the reasons,
these traditions must be incredibly significant to whoever originally made them.
So I feel obligated to uphold them.
Of course, the most important part aren't the traditions themselves, but the feelings they represent.
Which is why the ladies of our family all have "ya" in our names.
The sentiments from those ages long ago may have gotten lost in the passage of time,
but they still have a home to come back to.
And now, it's your turn to make sure the feelings
of those people from the past can endure into the future, Miyaka-chan.
Okay, I better start fixing dinner now.
She's so weird...
Brr, it's cold! I gotta wrap this up quick.
Pardon me.
Yes?
Are you the Miko of this shrine? I'd like to ask you something.
Sort of. We're called Itsukihime instead of Miko.
Itsukihime...?
I don't know the exact reason why,
but it's always been a rule here at the Jinta Shrine to call the Miko by that title.
I'm sorry. But could you repeat the name of this shrine for me?
Sure. It's called Jinta shrine.
I see...
Thanks, chieftain... you came through on your promise to make sure this shrine endured,
so I had a place to come back to.
Thank you very much. Now, if you'll excuse me.
Huh? Didn't you have a question for me?
You've already answered it.
You delivered exactly the words that I was hoping to hear.
JINTA SHRINE
ENTRANCE CEREMONY
CLASS 1-C ROSTER
JINYA KADONO
MIYAKA HIMEKAWA
Yahoo!
We're in the same class! This is awesome!
Talk about lucky, Miyaka-chan!
I'm so happy, Kaoru-chan!
Same!